Amitabh Bachchan might be one of the greatest cine idols of this country but he is an opportunist par excellence; and there can't be two views on this. His showers of praise for the Gujarat state and its chief minister is an absolute proof of my statement.

I couldn’t believe my eyes and ears when Big B told media persons that “there are lots of good things in Gujarat which should be promoted. I am ready to give my voice and face for the promotion of Gujarat tourism.” On the day Samajwadi Party’s national general secretary Amar Singh resigned from all party posts, Bachchan, who is his friend and Uttar Pradesh’s former brand ambassador, said he was not aware of Singh’s resignation.

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Earlier, Bachchan gifted Narendra Modi a copy of ‘Madhushala’ (A tavern), a collection of quatrains by his late father Harivansh Rai Bachchan. He thanked Bachchan for his offer to promote Gujarat tourism and said Hindi films were a major influence on Indian society. Calling Bachchan the “Mahanayak” of this phenomenon, Modi said, “I myself am influenced by Bachchan; after all I am a common man”.

Big B, clad in black Jodhpuris, was very diplomatic when media asked him, “Do you think Modi is Big B of politics?” He said, “I can’t compare myself with Modi. Inke baare main kya bolun (what can I say about this man)”. And the comments had left Modi blushing. “He is doing a good job as a chief minister in Gujarat. His efforts are commendable,” he said.

His cowardice turnaround and betrayal to Hindi Bhashis (North Indians) in Mumbai and the nation when caught in the claws of MNS is still fresh in public memory.

Do I need to remind what Atal Bihari Vajpaye had advised Modi when he had visited Gujarat? Did he hear about the book ‘The Clash Within” written by Prof Martha C. Nussbaum. She teaches philosophy and law at the University of Chicago. Her most recent book is “Hiding from Humanity: Disgust, Shame, and the Law,” is an eye-opener.

That he is a thankless man is obvious from the fact that he had rarely mentioned his greatest benefactor Khwaja Ahmed Abbas who gave him the first break in ‘Saat Hindustani’. What did he do for Comedian Mehmood when he ran out of luck in his last days? Mehmood was the one who gave him a commercial break in ‘Bombay to Goa’.

He had once cashed the public support for the political benefit of Amar Singh and Mulayam Singh. Their first inning was one of the most undemocratic, parochial, cast-oriented and corrupt in the state history. They pushed his wife up and she became the Member of Parliament. His whole family got the highest cultural award from the UP government. Many even today laugh at the award to his son. Her daughter-in-law was all praise for Modi recently.

Is Big B's support, at least tacit, justified? It was 786, Saleem Javed, Khwaja Ahmed Abbas, Mehmood and Gabbar who catapulted him to the centre stage. "Sholay" was the greatest hit of history because of Gabbar and not Bachchan. The product of Bachchan was based on failure of law and order, belief in creating social friction, promotion of crude casteism – The Angry Young Man. Nothing really great!

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